BTS to perform on 'Good Morning America' summer concert series

K-pop supergroup BTS is set to appear as the first performer on a summer concert series hosted by the popular American TV show "Good Morning America." The seven-piece act is among a lineup of more than 20 musicians who will be performing at this year's series that will run through August. BTS will perform on May 28. BTS is not a new comer to the annual summer concert series. In 2019, the group put on a live performance of two hit tracks, "Boy with Luv" and "Fire,"

K-popMay 18, 2021

Rocket Punch promotes newtro-themed ‘Ring Ring’

Rookie girl group Rocket Punch marked the start of summer with the retro-inspired “Ring Ring.” Eight months after the six-piece group released its third mini-album, “Blue Punch,” it held a press conference in Seoul on Monday ahead of the new album’s release at 6 p.m. that day. The album is part of the “newtro” trend that continues to sweep the nation, the music scene being no exception. (The word is a combination of “new” and “retro.

K-popMay 17, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] NCT Dream’s 1st LP becomes million-seller

NCT Dream’s first studio album, “Hot Sauce,” sold over 1 million copies, a first for the boy band, according to label S.M. Entertainment on Monday. 　 The LP went on sale May 10 and reached the milestone in a week. It was the highest first-week sales figure among all the albums released this year. 　 This is the septet’s first million-selling album and the third for the NCT family, after NCT 127’s second LP, “Neo Zone,” and NCT’s second full-length

K-popMay 17, 2021

IU donates W500m for underprivileged on her birthday

Singer-actress IU has donated 500 million won ($441,350) to charity groups in aid to the underprivileged, her management agency said Monday. The money was delivered to five groups, including the Korea Pediatric Cancer Foundation and the Korea Unwed Mothers Families Association, on Sunday, which was her birthday, according to Edam Entertainment. "IU wished to do something good in the name of her fan club on her last birthday in her 20s to return some of the love she has received from peop

K-popMay 17, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] BTS graces cover of Rolling Stone

BTS made cover of Rolling Stone’s June issue, becoming the first all-Asian band to appear on the front of the magazine. 　 The 54-year-old magazine declared it “iconic,” dramatically announcing: “Attention ARMY: after years of asking for it, BTS have finally landed on the cover of Rolling Stone.” 　 The media will roll out a collector’s edition box set that will feature eight collectible BTS covers, the newsstand cover with all seven members as well as seven

K-popMay 14, 2021

BTS becomes first all-Asian act to front Rolling Stone in magazine's history

K-pop sensation BTS is featured on the cover of the latest issue of US popular culture magazine Rolling Stone. "BTS appears on our June cover," the magazine tweeted Thursday (local time), posting an interview with the septet as the cover story on its website. The magazine said it is the first time that an all-Asian act has fronted the magazine in its 54-year history. The cover story, titled "The Triumph of BTS," features the birth of the seven-member boy band -- RM, Jin,

K-popMay 14, 2021

BTS to make guest appearance on 'Friends' special

K-pop superstars BTS will make a guest appearance on a reunion special of the popular American sitcom "Friends" later this month, according to Billboard. The seven-piece act will join the original cast of the '90s comedy and other top stars in the special to air May 27 on streaming service HBO Max, the US magazine said on its website Thursday (local time). Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga and David Beckham will be among the others to be featured on the show. The reunion special comes 17 yea

K-popMay 14, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] IZ*ONE’s Miyawaki Sakura leaves Japanese team: report

Miyawaki Sakura of the now-disbanded girl group IZ*ONE is leaving her original group in Japan, according to reports on Thursday. 　 In an interview with Japanese fashion magazine ViVi, Miyawaki announced that she has “graduated.” 　 Her activities as a member of IZ*ONE came to an end recently and she returned to her original group HKT48, but she recently said that she will leave the girl group, according to the article. 　 There has been speculation that she will join HYBE, formerly B

K-popMay 13, 2021

K-pop rookie Enhypen sweeps Oricon album charts ahead of Japan debut

K-pop boy band Enhypen has topped Japan's key monthly music chart with its latest album after ranking No. 1 on the weekly and daily album charts, its management agency said Thursday. The group's second EP, "Border: Carnival," sat atop Oricon's monthly album chart for April, which was released Wednesday, according to Belift Lab. Previously, the EP ranked No. 1 on the Japanese music tracker's daily album chart on April 30, four days after its release. It also stayed atop Oricon's week

K-popMay 13, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] ITZY to release English version of new hit

ITZY hopes to add momentum to the global popularity of its latest EP by releasing an English version of title track on May 14, the group‘s label JYP Entertainment on Wednesday. 　 The group will share a lyric video for “Mafia In The Morning,” the title track from its fourth EP “Guess Who,” along with the song and put out a performance clip the next day on its YouTube channel. 　 The five-piece act entered the Billboard 200 for the first time since its debut, rankin

K-popMay 12, 2021

BTS to perform new single 'Butter' at Billboard Music Awards

K-pop superstars BTS will put on its first performance of the upcoming release "Butter" at the Billboard Music Awards (BBMAs) scheduled for later this month. The seven-piece act will be performing at the annual music awards for the fourth consecutive year, unveiling "Butter" at the ceremony scheduled for May 23 (US time), according to the BBMAs. The performance comes just two days after the scheduled release of the act's second English single "Butter," which will

K-popMay 12, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] Shinee’s Taemin collaborates with Taeyeon

Taemin of Shinee has joined forces with Taeyeon, of Girls’ Generation, for a track from his upcoming EP, said label SM Entertainment on Tuesday. “If I Could Tell You,” one of the five tracks from its third solo EP “Advice,” will feature the songstress and the two will sing the delicate feelings between close friends who are on the verge of love. Dreamy electric piano tunes and soft synth sounds will add to the harmony of the musicians in the R&B number. 

K-popMay 11, 2021

K-pop rookie Enhypen tops Japanese music chart, set for Japan debut

Boy band Enhypen has rocked Japan with its latest EP, topping a key music chart in the Asian country for two straight weeks ahead of its official debut there. The seven-piece act's second EP "Border: Carnival" sat atop Japanese music tracker Oricon's weekly album charts in the latest data compiled between May 3-9, extending its winning streak. The two-week record, the first for both Japanese and overseas acts on the weekly chart compiled this year, is the latest in the K-pop rookie's

K-popMay 11, 2021

ITZY debuts on Billboard 200 with new album 'Guess Who'

K-pop girl group ITZY has landed on Billboard's main albums chart for the first time in the third year of its debut. The five-piece act's latest EP "Guess Who," reached No. 148 on the Billboard 200, which compiles the week's most popular albums in the United States, according to its agency JYP Entertainment. Billboard separately shared a list of new debuts on one of its Twitter accounts. The full chart will be updated Tuesday (US time). "Guess Who" also made its first appe

K-popMay 11, 2021

NCT Dream drops first studio set: ‘Hot Sauce’

Packed and ready with all kinds of flavors, boy band NCT Dream’s first studio album, “Hot Sauce,” is set for release Monday. The seven-member subunit of S.M. Entertainment’s boy band NCT conducted a livestreamed press conference that day ahead of the album’s release. “This is our first full-length album in six years. While NCT Dream was all about being young until now, we’ve all grown up. We thought it was the most important to portray with the new a

K-popMay 10, 2021

K-pop girl group Loona to promote Korean culture overseas

K-pop girl group Loona will be promoting Korean culture abroad in 2021 as honorary ambassadors for the Korean Culture and Information Service. The 12 band members’ main role as honorary ambassadors is to take part in KOCIS events to promote South Korea’s global image as well as its pop culture content, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The girl group has already participated in promotional videos for the Talk Talk Korea contest organized by KOCIS. The video

K-popMay 10, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] NCT Dream’s 1st LP full of energy

NCT Dream shared their thoughts about the group’s first studio album “Hot Sauce” at an online media conference on Monday. 　 Before the event started, the group’s label SM Entertainment announced that the LP’s pre-order sales came in at more than 1.7 million units. 　 “We’re flattered by the fact alone that we were able to fill the album as a septet,” said the members. 　 They had initially wanted to focus on creating as many memories as possible w

K-popMay 10, 2021

From BTS to NCT Dream, K-pop acts gear up to return with new music in May

From K-pop dynamo BTS to boy band brand NCT's subunit NCT Dream, some of the scene's biggest acts as well as rookie groups are getting ready to come back with new music this month. At the forefront is BTS. The seven-piece group, which released Japanese single "Film Out" in April, is set to drop new song "Butter" on May 21. The English single, which the group's agency Big Hit Music described as a "fun and upbeat summer song," will first be released globally in a d

K-popMay 9, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] Blackpink’s Rose thanks fans with photobook

  Rose of Blackpink is releasing a special-edition photobook to thank fans for successful launch of her solo career.  To mark her solo debut album selling over 500,000 units, she published a book named “Rose -R- Photobook [Special Edition]” that goes on sale on June 22. The 204-page tome contains candid shots from the songstress’ daily lives she took herself as well as selfies. Scenes from the shootings of album jacket and music video also are included. The artist p

K-popMay 7, 2021

K-pop agency SM teams up with MGM to launch new boy band

SM Entertainment, the K-pop powerhouse behind acts like SuperM and EXO, on Friday unveiled a plan to launch a new K-pop band in the United States through a televised audition program. SM and MGM Worldwide Television will introduce a competition series to pick members of a new boy band named NCT-Hollywood, one of the subunits for SM's NCT boy band brand, the company said in a statement. NCT, short for Neo Culture Technology, is SM Entertainment's international idol group project launched in 201

K-popMay 7, 2021